Support



Dec; 2, 1941. A. VANDERVELD SUPPORT Filed March 6, 1941 4 MEM ,J .w j.. mIJl, 2E 5 Patented Dec. 2, 1941 signor to Grand Rapids Store Equipment Company, Grandi Rapids, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application March 6, 1941, Serial No.` 382,033

9 Claims.

This inventionl relates to a supporting str-ucture which is primarily adapted for use in connection with cabinets for carrying vshelf supports, hangrod supports and.` various other accessories by means of which the cabinet body l.

or chassis may be equipped for holding and displaying merchandise in stores. Other uses of the support of my invention will obviously occur.

This invention is concerned with a supporting structure which may vbe at each end of a cabinet body, and in which the, ends of said cabinet are a part of the supporting structure, there being associated therewith vertical slots cut at the inner side of the said ends and spaced from each other, one near the front edge of each end, another near the rear, and, preferably, a third slot cut midway between the other two; and in such slots a plurality of vertically spacedy supporting elements are provided with which the accessory supports such as shelf supports and others mentioned may be detachably andadjustably connected.

The present invention. is directed to a novel construction wherein metallic supporting elements in spaced apart relation to each other are housedwithin the slots andl in most cases without the exposure of metal at the entrance openings to the slots; the supporting elements being within theY slots and in general invisible except upon a close examination. The slots are narrow and in depth greatly exceed their widthv whereby any viewing of the-structure at an angle from the front will show only the narrow slots. Further objects of the invention willappear as an understanding of such. inventionis had from the following description taken in 'connection with the accompanying drawing, in which.

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section through one endl of a cabinet body or chassis embodying myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section enlarged showing one form of metalv supportA housed within a slot and the means used' for holding andretaining it in place within the slot.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation thereof.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section through the structure shown in Fig. 4 showing a shelf support in hooked engagement therewith.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to, Fig. 3 illustrating a modication in structure.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a section similar to Figs. 3 and 4 of a u' still further form or embodiment of 'theV invention, and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective viewof the metallic member inserted in the slot in the structure shown in Fig. 8.'.

Like reference characters refer to-like parts in the different iigures of the` drawing. y

The cabinet body or chassis has two spaced apartends i of whichone only is shownin Fig. 1. In the inner side of each of the ends of the body spaced Vertical narrow slots 2 are cut, thewidth of which is much less thanI the depth. rIIhree of said slots are shown, one adjacent each the front and rear edges of the end I and the other substantially 'midway between.

InA these slots U-shaped channels having parallelV sides 3 are: inserted with the web, or connecting portions between the sides outward. as in Fig. 3. The web. yor connecting portion between the sides 3y of the channel are provided with aV pluralityof spaced slotsf 4- between. which areintegral connecting portions -5 which. as will later appear, are adapted to have hooked mem--y bers Vony the. shelf supports or other ixture accessories engagedtherewith. The channel mem-V angle bar 1 having a horizontal ledge and avertical leg. At each end of the verticalleg the metal is continued and turned at right angles. to provide an extension 8, the vertical dimension of which is` slightly less than the length of the slots 4. Each of such extensions at its upper inner cornerY is providedv with anI upwardly extending iinger Si. Thus the shelf; supportingv members: may` be tilted to pass the iingers throughl selected slots lly -loeated at the same;

height in two spaced apart channel members and after the fingers 9 have been hooked behind the cross-connections: 5. over thev selected` slots, the shelf supporting member may be turned to. the

position shown in Fig. 5., the` lower edges of the. extension ilI resting upon the next lowermost.

members 5.

In Fig. 6V the channel is shown as, coming out.

to the entrance opening of the slot though in practice it is obvious that it may be made as in Fig. 3. The channel has sides l0 spaced farther apart than the sides 3 and the intermediate cross connecting portion is pressed between the said sides I with return bends II as shown. Within the slot the cross-connection is provided with a plurality of spaced apart slots I2, like the slots 4, separated by cross-connections I3 like the parts 5 previously described. In this case the bends at II appear at the entrance opening to the wider slots in the end members I but the metal being of narrow gauge such exposure of metal is small and does not detract from the appearance. The shelf supports with the end hook extensions 8 may be detachably connected in the same manner previously described.

In Figs. 8 and 9 a channel member is formed in which the web I4 thereof lies against one side of a slot 2 and at its rear edge is provided with a narrow flange I5. A like flange at the front edge has portions cut away leaving spaced tongues I6 which extend across the slot 2, the distance between the tongues being the same as the height of slots 4 or I3. The same method of securing by diagonally driven screws 6 is used. In this case the hooked extensions 8 are engaged with any selected two of the tongues I6.

In constructions of the type described, the thickness of the metal of the hooked extensions 8 is but slightly less than the width of the slots 4 or I3 or of the iiange I5 so that said extensions have side support against buckling or twisting or other distortion when weight is carried. The construction is practical and eiiicient, is capable of withstanding and carrying heavy weight, the interior of the cabinet body is unobstructed and there may be associated with the various supporting elements housed within the vertical slots in the ends of the cabinet many and various types of accessory supports whereby a cabinet body or chassis may be selectively equipped to complete the cabinets for many and various types of merchandise which are to be held and displayed.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. A vertically positioned end member of a case or cabinet having a vertical slot at the inner side thereof, and a metallic member inserted in said slot having a plurality of vertically spaced apart horizontal supporting elements located inwardly from the entrance openingof the slot and extending across the slot, said supporting elements being integral with and connected to a vertical side of metal located within the slot and lining a side of the slot, and said supporting elements being invisible when viewed angularly from the front of the cabinet as specified.

2. A construction containing the elements of claim 1, combined with securing means driven into said end at a side of the slot from the front thereof and outside of said member, said securing means being located at horizontal supporting elements.

3. A vertical end of a case or cabinet having a vertical slot therein at its inner side, the depth of which is greater than the width, a channel member of metal extending the length of the slot and inserted therein with the sides of said channel member engaging the sides of the slot, said channel member having a connecting portion between the edges of said sides thereof across said slot between the bottom and the entrance opening to the slot, said connecting portion being provided with a plurality of equally spaced apart narrow slots therethrough between which are intervening horizontal supporting elements, said narrow slots being invisible when viewed angularly from the front of the cabinet as specified.

4. A vertical end for a case or cabinet having a plurality of vertical slots therein cut at its inner side, the depth of which is greater than their width, and a substantially U-shaped channel member having two parallel sides and a connecting portion between the sides located in each slot and inserted therein with the open side of the channel member at the bottom of the slot, said connecting portion having a plurality of spaced apart narrow and relatively long slots therein separated from each other by horizontal supporting elements, said last named slots being invisible when viewed angularly from the front of the cabinet as specified.

5. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 4, said supporting elements of said connecting portion being located in a slot a distance from the entrance opening thereto.

6. A vertical end for a case or cabinet having a vertical slot cut lengthwise therein at its inner side, the depth of the slot being in excess to its width, and a metallic member extending lengthwise of the slot and bearing against a side thereof having vertically spaced apart supporting elements extending across the slot, and means for holding and securing the supporting member in the slot comprising headed screws diagonally driven into said end of the ca se or cabinet at the slot thereof and outside of said metallic member, the heads of said screws engaging against and overlapping selected horizontal supporting elements. g Y

7. A vertical end for a cabinet having a vertical slot therein, and a metallic channel member inserted therein with the sides thereof engaging the sides of the slot and with the open side of the channel at the bottom of the slot, said channel member being of less depth than the depth of the slot, and the connecting web of the channel being provided with a plurality of vertically spaced apart slots, between which are horizontal supporting elements said last named slots being invisible when viewed angularly from the front of the cabinet.

8. A vertical end for a cabinet having a vertical slot therein, and a metallic member located within said slot having parallel sides engaging the sides of the slot, the vertical edges of said sides being return bent for a distance and then connected together by a portion extending between the sides, said connecting portion having vertically spaced apart openings therein between which are horizontal supporting elements.

9. A vertical end for a cabinet having a vertical slot therein, and a metallic channel member located endwise within the slot so that one of the two parallel sides thereof will be located at the bottom of the slot, the other of the sides being adjacent the front of the slot and having vertically spaced openings therein between which are horizontal supporting elements.

ANTHONY VANDERVELD. 

